Bill > AR173

This Resolution urges Congress to pass the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act, a proposed law aimed at correcting an inequity faced by surviving spouses of military members. Currently, under federal law, these spouses often have to give up part or all of their Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity, which is a payment designed to support them after their spouse's death, if they also receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). DIC is a tax-free benefit paid to eligible survivors of service members who died due to service-related causes. The current system requires a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the SBP annuity by the amount of DIC received, meaning many surviving spouses receive little to no SBP benefit, even though their deceased service member designated it for their family's security. While some efforts have been made to mitigate this issue, such as a modest monthly rebate called the Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA), survivors and a 2007 commission have argued that DIC should be paid in addition to, not instead of, the SBP annuity. The Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act seeks to end this offset for surviving spouses under age 60, prevent the repayment of certain past benefits, and ensure dependent children receive payments when there is no eligible surviving spouse, recognizing the sacrifices made by military personnel.